Houston tops Memphis 25-15

HOUSTON -- John O'Korn threw for 198 yards and a touchdown and Kenneth Farrow ran for two second-half touchdowns as Houston overcame a slow start to defeat Memphis 25-15 Saturday and remain undefeated.

O'Korn finished 13 of 30 and Deontay Greenberry caught four passes for 76 yards for the Cougars (5-0, 2-0 American), who were out-gained 349 yards to 247.

Paxton Lynch was 21 of 41 for 222 yards passing, and Brandon Hayes rushed 12 times for 72 yards to lead the Tigers (1-4, 0-2), who committed four turnovers -- all fumbles. Mose Frazier caught five passes for 81 yards.

Jake Elliot had five field goals for Memphis.

Trailing 15-10 midway through the third, Farrow put the Cougars ahead with a 1-yard run and followed that by taking O'Korn's shovel pass in for a two-point conversion, capping a 7-play, 75-yard drive.

O'Korn found Greenberry for 30 yards to begin the drive, and the Cougars were able to keep it going with a penalty by Memphis on a fourth and 4. O'Korn found Xavier Maxwell for a diving catch good for 33 yards to the 1-yard line and Farrow ran it in on the next play.

Farrow extended the lead to 25-15 on a 6-yard touchdown run with 10:21 remaining in the game. Ryan Jackson got the Cougars to the Tigers 18 on a 44-yard screen pass down the right sideline from O'Korn.

After Derrick Matthews forced and recovered a fumble on Memphis' first drive, Houston covered 57 yards in six plays, capping the drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Spencer with 10:13 left in the first quarter to make it 7-0.

After Houston forced another Memphis turnover, Houston upped the lead to 10-6 on a 24-yard field goal by Richie Leone with 8:21 remaining in the second.

Memphis struggled to finish drives, taking three into the red zone, but they were unable to get into the end zone.

Houston's high-powered offense was held to just 84 yards in the first half and six first downs compared with Memphis' 200 yards and 10 first downs. Of Houston's 84 yards in the first half, 57 yards came on the Cougars' first drive.